A Pleasantville man was found dead yesterday morning at North Maroon Peak in Colorado, the Pitkin County Sheriff's Office reported.
According to a statement, relatives of 31-year-old Leonard "Lenny" Joyner reported him missing at 1:18 p.m. on Monday.
"It was later confirmed that the missing person was on top of South Maroon Peak on Thursday, July 19, at about 10:06 a.m., but hadn’t been seen or heard from since," investigators said.
The Mountain Rescue Aspen (MRA) was activated following the report and Joyner's vehicle and campsite were located. An initial aerial search ended "due to bad weather," and a ground search continued through sunset Monday.
Yesterday, at approxinately 8:15 a.m., about an hour after the search resumed, "a body was spotted on the northern aspect of North Maroon Peak," the statement said. "This was Leonard Joyner, the missing climber from New York."
MRA members reached Joyner's body after being dropped off via helicopter. His body was taken to Farnum's Funeral Home in Glenwood Springs, CO. His family and co-workers have been notified of his death.
The New York Daily News reports the mountain was 14,000-feet-tall and it appears Joyner fell to his death.
Posts from his Google+ account indicate he arrived at the Denver International Airport on July 16. He wrote, "Who flies all the way to Colorado just to climb a mountain? This guy!"
Friends and colleagues have been leaving sentiments following the news of his death on his Google+ page.
"I'm so sorry Lenny. I'll never forget your great smile and attitude. The ED will miss you," one person wrote.
Another posted a link to a YouTube video paying tribute to Joyner.
According to Joyner's Linkedin profile, he was a paramedic in the New York City Fire Department and graduate of SUNY Plattsburgh, where he studied biochemistry. His Facebook page lists him as a 1999 graduate.
